Tewkesbury Refuses to Back its Own Joint Core Strategy

Plans to build tens of thousands of houses in Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Gloucester have been thrown into doubt.

The latest version of a vitally important future planning blueprint covering the period up to 2031, called the Joint Core Strategy, had been agreed by the district councils for Cheltenham and Gloucester.

But last night Tewkesbury Borough Council refused to back it – deciding it was not happy with controversial plans to build 1,363 homes in Twigworth, near Gloucester. It followed protests from residents there, who said the flood-prone land should not take such a huge number of houses.

The future of the problem-hit plan, which has taken years to get to this stage, now looks uncertain once again.

Tewkesbury Borough Council members deferred making a decision on its latest incarnation, deciding that their officers should come back to them with a plan that did not contain the Twigworth allocation in it.

One Tewkesbury borough councillor, who asked not to be named, said this morning: “I’m not sure where the JCS goes now. This is a spanner in the works.

“When Tewkesbury’s plan comes back, it will be a different plan to that agreed by the other two councils.”

Mike Dawson, chief executive of Tewkesbury Borough Council, said this morning: “This is a significant amendment to the main modifications proposed at council and Tewkesbury Borough Council will work with its partners, Cheltenham borough and Gloucester city councils to determine a way forward for the Joint Core Strategy.”

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